Fixed needle syringe with protective needle housing

ABSTRACT

A fixed needle syringe has a syringe barrel with its distal portion modified to accept a needle protective housing. In particular, the distal portion is formed with the a groove dimensioned to accept a collar that is attached to the housing. The inside surface of the collar is provided with a number of flanges that fit within the groove formed at the distal portion of the syringe barrel of the fixed needle syringe. Protrusions are provided at the inside surface of the collar to frictionally act against the syringe barrel, so that the needle protective housing does not freely rotate, but is rotatable relative to the syringe barrel by the application of a predetermined torque to either the collar or the housing attached thereto. An internal hook is provided in the housing to grasp the needle of the syringe, when the housing is pivoted to cover the needle extending from the needle hub of the syringe. Coacting locking members are provided at the base of the housing and the outside of the collar for fixedly retaining the housing relative to the collar, once the housing has been pivoted along the alignment position of the syringe. The collar reception portion of the syringe barrel may also be modified with a circumferential boss, with the inside surface of the collar correspondingly grooved so that the collar is matable with the syringe body in an alternative embodiment.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a fixed needle syringe and moreparticularly a fixed needle syringe that has a needle protection housingmovably coupled to the syringe barrel of the syringe for enclosing theneedle after use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The Assignee of the instant invention has assigned thereto a number ofU.S. patents relating to the enclosure of a contaminated needle. Theprotective devices covered by these patents include an adapter housingthat may be used with conventional syringes, a syringe with a fixedhousing, Vacutainer holders equipped with a needle protection housing,and ways for fixedly retaining the protective housing over thecontaminated needle after use. Without limitations, these patentsinclude: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,982,842; 5,139,489; 5,232,454; 5,154,285;5,277,311; 5,423,765; RE37,110; RE37,252; U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,328,713;6,334,857; and 6,582,397. The respective disclosures of the above notedpatents are incorporated by reference herein.

The above patents do not deal with needle syringes that has a needlefixed thereto, for example a fixed needle insulin syringe.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

To provide a needle protection housing to a fixed needle syringe, acollar reception mechanism in the form of either a groove or acircumferential boss is formed at the distal portion of the syringebarrel of the fixed needle syringe. The collar reception mechanism isconfigured to accept a collar to which a needle protection housing isflexibly or pivotally attached. The inside circumference of the collar,depending on the type of collar reception mechanism formed at the distalportion of the syringe barrel, could have either internal flanges or iscircumferentially notched. The medical plastic materials used for themanufacture of the fixed needle syringe and the collar are such that thecollar may be elastically press-fitted to the syringe barrel by theapplication of a predetermined force. such plastic materials includingfor example p.v.c., polypropylene, polycarbonate, or any otherappropriate plastic material. Once fitted to the syringe barrel, thecollar will remain fixed thereat, albeit rotatable about the syringebarrel. Protuberances may be formed at the internal surface of thecollar to provide friction or tension between the collar and the syringebarrel, so that the collar is rotatable about the syringe barrel onlywhen a given torque is applied either to the housing or the collar,relative to the syringe barrel.

The needle protection housing is connected to the collar in such a waythat when the collar is fitted to the syringe barrel, to envelop theneedle fixedly extending from the needle hub of the syringe, the useronly needs to pivot the protective housing to be in substantialalignment along the longitudinal axis of the syringe. The housing isconfigured such that its proximal portion, which is semi-circular inshape, would cover the needle hub while its distal portion, which ischannel shaped, would cover the needle. To ensure that the contaminatedneedle is fixedly retained within the housing, a catch member such asfor example a hook may be integrated in the housing for snap fittingover the needle, once the housing is pivoted to the position inalignment along the longitudinal axis of the syringe. As an alternativeof, or to provide additional safety, coacting locking mechanisms may beprovided at the base of the housing and the outer surface of the collarfor anchoring the housing to the collar. Either the coacting mechanismsor the internal hook, or both, could be utilized in the instantinvention fixed needle syringe.

For shipping purposes and before use, to maintain the sterility of theneedle extending from the needle hub of the syringe, a needle sheath orcap is fitted to the needle hub for covering the needle. The collar ofthe needle protective housing, when properly fitted to the distalportion of the syringe barrel, provides a rest stop, per its topsurface, for the needle sheath.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The present invention will become apparent and the invention itself willbe best understood by reference to the following description of thepresent invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a fixed needle syringe with its syringe barrelmodified to receive the collar of a protective needle housing;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the protective needle housing shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the needle protective housing;

FIG. 4 is a semi cut-away cross-sectional view showing the mating of thecollar of the needle protection housing shown in FIG. 1 to the collarreception groove at the distal portion of the fixed needle syringe;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a fixed needle syringe, with the needleremoved for ease of illustration, showing an alternative collarreception mechanism provided at the distal end of the syringe body;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the alternative embodiment in whicha collar with an internal groove is mated to the distal end of thesyringe body of the needle syringe shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross-section view of yet another embodiment in which theneedle syringe of FIG. 5 is fitted with a different collar; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a fixed needle syringe fitted with aneedle protection housing of the instant invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIGS. 1-4, the fixed needle safety syringe of theinstant invention is shown to include a fixed needle syringe 2 that hasa syringe barrel body 4 which includes a distal portion 6. Extendingfrom the distal end 8 of the syringe barrel 4 is a needle hub 10, with aneedle 12 fixedly extending therefrom. Syringe 2 further has a proximalend 14. As is well known, syringe 2 has a through bore (not shown) intowhich a plunger 16 is inserted by way of an opening provided at proximalend 14.

For the embodiment of the fixed needle syringe shown in FIG. 1,modification is effected at distal portion 6 at the syringe barrel 4 toenable the syringe barrel to be fitted thereto a collar 18 of a needleprotective housing 20, which is connected to collar 18 by a living hinge22. Thus connected, housing 20 is pivotable toward collar 18 perdirectional arrow 23.

For the modification of syringe barrel 4 for the embodiment shown inFIG. 1, a groove 24 is formed at distal portion 6 a predetermineddistance from distal end 8. The location of groove 24 formed at syringebarrel 4 is designed such that when collar 18 is fitted thereto, the topsurface 26 of collar 18 is substantially flushed with the shoulder ordistal end 8 of syringe barrel 4. As best shown in FIG. 4, groove 24 isformed to include an undercut 27 that has a diameter slightly largerthan groove 24.

Collar 18, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, has a number of flanges 28formed at its inner circumferential surface, at its proximal portion. Anumber of protrusions 30 are also formed at the inner surface of collar18 but at its distal portion. Formed at the outer surface, at oppositesides of collar 18, are two extensions 32, each of which coacts with acorresponding catch 34 formed at the base of housing 20, when housing 20is pivoted in the direction as indicated by directional arrow 23 toalign along longitudinal axis 36 of collar 18. It should be noted thataxis 36 is also the longitudinal axis of fixed needle syringe 2.

Housing 20 has a proximal portion 38 and a distal portion 40. Proximalportion 38 is semi-circular in shape, and has a dimension that enablesit to cover needle hub 10, when collar 18 has been press fitted togroove 24 and housing 20 pivoted to cover needle 12. Proximal portion 38has an opening 39 at its back wall that allows the side of collar 18that is enclosed by proximal portion 38 to be viewed when hub 10 iscovered by housing 20. A perspective view of the opening provided by thesemi-circular configuration of proximal portion 38 of needle housing 20is shown in FIG. 8. Distal portion 40 of housing 20 extends fromproximal portion 38 in the form of a narrow channel 42. Channel 42 isformed by an open slot through which needle 12 passes when housing 20 ispivoted towards the longitudinal axis 36 for covering needle 12. Asshown in FIG. 3, the slot into channel 42 extends to the opening thatforms the semi-circular configuration of proximal portion 38 of housing20.

With reference to FIG. 4, collar 18 is shown to have been press fittedto the collar reception groove 24 at the distal portion 6 of syringebarrel 4. As shown, flanges 28 are matingly fitted to groove 24. Thedimension of the inside diameter and more particularly the circumferenceformed by flanges 28 is such that it is slightly larger than thediameter of groove 24, so that collar 18 is rotatable about groove 24,after collar 18 is press fitted thereto. Collar 18 is fittable to groove24 because of the elastic characteristics of the aforenoted conventionalmedical plastics from which collar 18, housing 20 and syringe barrel 4are formed. Also, with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8, note that there is acircumferential or annular space 44 formed between distal end 8 and theportion of hub 10 that extends from distal portion 6 of syringe barrel4. Annular space 44 therefore surrounds at least one portion of needlehub 10 so that when collar 18 is forced fitted onto syringe barrel 4,the distal end 8 would slightly compress while at the same time collar18 would slightly expand, so that with the appropriate pressing force,collar 18 is matingly fitted to the collar reception portion of thesyringe barrel 4. Annular space 44 thus facilitates the mating of collar18 to the collar reception portion of syringe barrel 4.

For the embodiment of FIG. 1, to prevent free rotation of collar 8relative to syringe barrel 4, bumps or protrusions 30 provided at theinner surface of the distal portion of collar 18 are designed to be incontact with area 46 of syringe barrel 4. The tension applied byprotrusions 30 against area 46 is such that collar 18, although notfreely rotatable, is nonetheless rotatable relative to syringe barrel 4,if a predetermined torque is applied against either collar 18, orhousing 20 attached thereto for rotating collar 18.

Further with respect to FIG. 4, note that needle 12, before use, iscovered by a needle cap or needle sheath 48, shown in dashed lines. Seealso FIG. 1. Needle sheath 48 ensures the sterility of needle 12 priorto use.

As best shown in FIG. 8, note that with collar 18 fitted to collarreception area 24 of syringe barrel 4, the top surface 26 of collar 18becomes substantially flushed with or in a substantially planarrelationship with the shoulder or distal end 8 of syringe barrel 4, tothereby provide a rest stop for base 50 of needle sheath 48.

In operation, needle sheath 48 is removed from needle hub 10. After use,to cover the now contaminated needle 12, housing 20 is pivoted in thedirection as shown per directional arrow 23 until it becomessubstantially aligned along longitudinal axis 36. At about that time,needle 12 snaps past and is grasped by integral catch member 50, whichmay be in the form of a hook, within channel 42 of housing 20; and hub10 is covered by proximal portion 38 of housing 20. Also, extensions 32formed on the outside of collar 18 become caught by catches 34 formed atthe base of housing 20. As a result, needle 12 is fixedly retainingwithin housing 20 and housing 20 in turn is fixedly retained to collar18, with collar 18 not removable from syringe barrel 4 due to flanges 28having a small diameter than undercut 27 of groove 24. The now usedfixed needle syringe, with the contaminated needle no longer exposed,can then be disposed of.

FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of the fixed needle syringe ofthe instant invention. For this embodiment, note that the needlereception area of syringe barrel 4, instead of a groove, has a boss 52formed circumferentially at distal portion 6. Note further that hub 10has a number of evenly spaced fins 51 extending lengthwise along thehub. For the sake of simplicity, the needle of the fixed needle syringeis not shown in the FIG. 5 embodiment. For mating with the alternativesyringe of FIG. 5, a collar 54 as shown in FIG. 6 may be utilized. Forthe alternative embodiments, components that are the same as in the FIG.1 embodiment are labeled the same.

As for collar 54, note that it has an internal groove or notch 56 formedcircumferentially along its inner surface so that when collar 54 isfitted to the distal portion of syringe barrel 4, notch 56 will snapover and become mated to boss 52 of the syringe barrel. The dimension ofcollar 54, particularly that of notch 56, is designed such that collar54 is rotatable relative to syringe barrel 4, but is not freelyrotatable thereabout.

Yet another embodiment of the collar of the instant invention is shownin FIG. 7. There, instead of an internal groove 56 as shown in the FIG.6 embodiment, collar 58 has a plurality of extensions, or flanges 60,provided at its proximal portion. Flanges 60 are fitted within thegroove 62 formed by the lower portion of boss 54 and surface 64 ofsyringe barrel 4. For the embodiment of FIG. 7, collar 58 ismanufactured so that flanges 60 would have a dimension that would allowthem to contact groove 62 so as not to be freely rotatable and yetrotatable with the application of a predetermined torque to eithercollar 58 or the housing attached thereto. Protrusions 64 may beprovided at the distal portion of ring collar 58 to apply theappropriate rotation free friction or tension relative to syringe barrel4.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the fixed needle syringe of the instantinvention with the needle sheath having been removed to expose needle12. The collar shown mated to syringe barrel 4 is the collar 58 shown inthe FIG. 7 embodiment.

1. A method of manufacturing a safety syringe, comprising the steps of:a) molding a one piece syringe having a syringe barrel, a needle hubextending from a distal portion of said syringe barrel, acircumferential wall that forms a distal end that is a part of saiddistal portion surrounding at least one portion of said needle hub sothat an annular space extending away from the syringe barrel into openspace separates said distal end and said needle hub, and a collarreception mechanism at the distal portion of said syringe barrelproximate to said distal end; b) mounting a needle from said needle hub;c) providing a collar having pivotably attached thereto a needleprotection housing; and d) mating said collar to said collar receptionmechanism by press fitting said collar past said distal end of saidsyringe barrel; wherein said annular space enables said distal end tocompress toward said needle hub to facilitate the mating of said collarto said collar reception mechanism; and wherein said housing ispivotable to a position along the longitudinal axis of said syringe forcovering said needle mounted from said needle hub of said syringe. 2.Method of claim 1, wherein said collar reception mechanism comprises agroove formed circumferentially about said distal portion, the methodfurther comprising the steps of: forming the inside diameter of saidcollar to be of a sufficient dimension so that said collar is rotatableabout said groove once said collar is mated to said groove; and formingat least one protrusion at the inside surface of said collar to makecontact with the outer surface of said syringe barrel with sufficienttension to prevent free rotation of said collar relative to said syringebarrel after said collar is mated to said groove of the syringe barrel.3. Method of claim 1, wherein said housing has a base for connecting tosaid collar, wherein said step c comprises the steps of: providing atleast one locking portion at the base of said housing; and providing atleast an other locking portion at the outside circumference of saidcollar; wherein said one and other locking portions coact with eachother to fixedly retain said housing relative to said collar once saidhousing is pivoted along the longitudinal axis of said syringe to coversaid needle.
 4. Method of claim 1, wherein said step c comprises thestep of: providing a catch member within said housing for fixedlyretaining said needle within said housing when said housing is pivotedalong the longitudinal axis of said syringe to cover said needle. 5.Method of claim 1, wherein said collar reception mechanism comprises agroove formed circumferentially about said distal portion; wherein saidstep c comprises the step of: providing a plurality of flanges at theinside surface of said collar; and wherein once said collar is matinglyfitted to said groove, said flanges prevent said collar from beingremoved from said groove.
 6. Method of claim 1, wherein said collarreception mechanism comprises a groove formed circumferentially aboutsaid distal portion, wherein said collar has a top surface and saidneedle is covered by a needle sheath before use, said sheath having anopen end whereinto said needle is inserted when said sheath is fitted tosaid needle hub, and wherein said step d comprises the step of: pressfitting said collar to said groove such that the top surface of saidcollar is flush with the distal end of said syringe barrel, the topsurface of said collar providing a stop for said sheath when said sheathis fitted to said needle hub to cover said needle.
 7. Method of claim 1,wherein said collar reception mechanism comprises a groove formedcircumferentially about said distal portion, and wherein said step acomprises the step of; effecting said groove at said distal portion ofsaid syringe barrel at a predetermined distance from said distal end sothat when said collar is matingly fitted to said groove, the top surfaceof said collar is in substantially coplanar relationship with saiddistal end of said syringe barrel for supporting a sheath placed oversaid needle extending from said needle hub.
 8. Method of claim 1,wherein said step c comprises the steps of: effecting said needleprotection housing to have a proximal portion and a distal portion, saidproximal portion having a base pivotally connected to said collar, saidproximal portion being semi-circular for covering said needle hub, saiddistal portion of said needle protection being a channel extending fromsaid proximal portion for covering said needle with said slot being theopening of said channel through which said needle passes when saidhousing is pivoted to be in alignment along said longitudinal axis tocover said needle; and providing an opening at the back wall of saidproximal portion of said housing.
 9. Method of claim 1, wherein saidcollar reception mechanism comprises a boss formed circumferentiallyabout said distal portion, and wherein said step c comprises the stepof: forming a notch circumferentially at the inner surface of saidcollar, said collar fitting to said distal portion of said syringebarrel when said notch of said collar mates to said boss at said syringebarrel.
 10. A method of manufacturing a safety syringe, comprising thesteps of: a) molding a one piece syringe barrel to have a proximalportion and a distal portion, a needle hub extending from said distalportion, a circumferential wall forming a distal end being a part ofsaid distal portion, said distal end surrounding at least one portion ofsaid needle hub so that an annular space extending away from the syringebarrel into open space separates said distal end and said needle hub,and a collar reception mechanism at the distal portion of said syringebarrel proximate to said distal end; b) mounting a needle from saidneedle hub; and c) mating a collar to said collar reception mechanism bypress fitting said collar past said distal end of said syringe barrel;wherein said annular space enables said distal end to compress towardsaid needle hub to facilitate the mating of said collar to said collarreception mechanism.
 11. Method of claim 10, further comprising the stepof: connecting a housing pivotable to a position along the longitudinalaxis of said needle for covering said needle.
 12. Method of claim 11,wherein said housing comprises a proximal portion and a distal portion,further comprising the step of: providing an opening at the proximalportion of said housing.
 13. Method of claim 11, further comprising thestep of: providing a catch member within said housing for fixedlyretaining said needle within said housing when said housing is pivotedalong the longitudinal axis of said syringe to cover said needle. 14.Method of claim 10, wherein said step a further comprises the step of:extending at least one fin along said hub.
 15. Method of claim 10,wherein said collar reception mechanism comprises a groove formedcircumferentially about said distal portion, the method furthercomprising the steps of: forming the inside diameter of said collar tobe of a sufficient dimension so that said collar is rotatable about saidgroove once said collar is mated to said groove.
 16. Method of claim 10,further comprising the steps of; pivotally attaching to said collar aneedle protection housing, and providing at least one locking portion atthe base of said housing to coact with an other locking portionpositioned away from said housing when said housing is pivoted towardsaid collar to cover said needle.
 17. Method of claim 16, furthercomprising the step of: providing said other locking portion at theoutside circumference of said collar; wherein said one and other lockingportions coact with each other to fixedly retain said housing relativeto said collar once said housing is pivoted along the longitudinal axisof said syringe to cover said needle.
 18. Method of claim 10, whereinsaid collar reception mechanism comprises a groove formedcircumferentially about said distal portion, further comprising the stepof: providing at least one flange at the inside surface of said collarto prevent said collar from being removed from said groove once saidcollar is matingly fitted to said groove.
 19. Method of claim 10,further comprises the step of: covering said needle with a sheath byfitting said sheath to said needle hub prior to use.
 20. A method ofmaking a safety apparatus, comprising the steps of: a) molding a unitarysyringe having a syringe barrel including a distal portion and a distalend, a needle hub integrally extending from said distal portion, aportion of said needle hub being circumferentially separated from saiddistal end by an annular space extending away from the syringe barrelinto open space, a collar reception area formed at said distal portionproximate to said distal end of said syringe barrel; b) mounting aneedle from said needle hub; c) molding a collar having a housingpivotally attached thereto; d) matingly fitting said collar to saidcollar reception area by moving said collar pass said distal end, saidannular space enabling said distal end to compress toward said needlehub to facilitate the fitting of said collar to said collar receptionarea when said collar makes contact therewith.
 21. Method of claim 20,wherein said step c comprises the steps of: forming a slot alongsubstantially the length of said housing wherethrough said needle passeswhen said housing is pivoted to be in alignment along the longitudinalaxis of said syringe; and forming a catch within said housing forfixedly retaining said needle within said housing when said housing ispivoted along said longitudinal axis of said syringe to cover saidneedle.
 22. Method of claim 20, further comprising the step of: formingat least one locking portion at a base of said housing to coact with atleast an other locking portion away from said housing to fixedly retainsaid housing to be in substantial alignment along said longitudinal axisof said syringe when said housing is pivoted relative to said collar tocover said needle.
 23. Method of claim 20 wherein said step a furthercomprises the step of: extending at least one fin away from said needlehub.